Apple directing Siri coronavirus questions to government health agencies

Exclusive: Apple has updated Siri to direct users with questions regarding the novel coronavirus to seek information from local government health agencies.

Questions such as “Hey Siri, tell me about the coronavirus” and “Hey Siri, what are the common coronavirus symptoms?” see the visual assistant respond back suggesting users read detailed information online from local government sources, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US and GOV.UK, the public sector information website in the United Kingdom.

The update comes as the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues to spread rapidly. Apple announced on Wednesday that it was closing all 17 of its retail stores in Italy as the country battles the outbreak, and on Monday it was revealed an Apple employee in Cork, Ireland had tested positive when checked.

Image: The Apple Post

Apple has been encouraging its corporate employees to work from home this week, with staff at its retail stores to be given unlimited sick leave if they experience any coronavirus-like symptoms.

Additionally, Apple has added a special coverage section for tracking the coronavirus outbreak in the News app, featuring informative, fact-based stories from reputable publishers, curated by Apple News’ team of editors.

Image: The Apple Post